Gate-latch.



F. H. BOGDA.

GATE LATCH.

ArPucAloN FILED MAR. 2o. |915.

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FRANK H. BOG-IDA, 0F BURNET'E, WISCONSIN.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application ledvIl/arch 20, 1915. Serial No. 15,758.

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BoGDA, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Burnett, in the county ofDodge and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Gate-Latches,ofwhich the following is a description, reference being`had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part ot' thisspecification.

The invention relates to gate latches.

The invention designs more particularly to provide a latch for gates forcattle pens.

The invention further designs to provide a gate-latch for a gate whichmay be swung eitherinwardly oroutwardly and which will'au'tomatica'llylock itself in its intermediate position.

The invention further designs toprovide a self-locking gate-latchcomprising a plurality of locking bolts for engaging the lixed portionof the fence adjacent the gate, and'means for simultaneously moving saidbolts out of locking engagement to permit opening of the gate in eitherdirection.

rEhe invention further designs to provide a new and improved form ofgate latch.

The invention consists in the several teatures hereinafter set forth andmore particularly delined by claim at the conclusion hereof. j

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the device embodying theinvention, parts being broken awav and parts being shown in section;Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The latch is shown applied to a portion of a gate which is adapted to beswingingly mounted upon one of the fence standards (not shown), andcomprises means for locking the gate to another standard 5 of the fenceand means for releasing said locking means.

The latch comprises a plurality of hori- Zontally extending members 6which are provided with apertured extensions 7 for receiving avertically disposed member 8 of the gate. lThe members 6 are alsoprovided with apertured extensions 9 adjacent one of their ends whichare mounted upon a standard 4 of the gate to secure them thereto. Thelatch further consists of bolts 10 which are slidably mounted in thebores 11 of the members 6, means connected to the standard 5 forreceiving the bolts 10, and

means 'for automatically moving said bolts t0 locking position.

The means connected to the standard 5 for receiving the bolts 10comprises channeled members 12 having apertures 13 therein for fittingsaid members upon the standard 5 and another standard 6 of the fenceadjacent thereto. Extensions 111 are provided on one of the ends of themembers 12 and each of these extensions has a locking pocket 15 thereinand beveled sides 16 and 17 adjacent either side of said pocket. Thepockets 15 are adapted to receive the ends 18 of the bolts 10 and theends of the members 6 extend outwardly to a position adjacent saidpockets.

The means :for automatically moving each of the bolts l0 to lockingposition comprises a spring`20 surrounding a reduced portion 21 of thebolt which portion 21 is slidably mounted within an raperture 22 in saidmember 6,` the said spring being interposed between the end of themember 6 and the shouldered portion 23 of said bolt. Each of the springs20 normally act to move the bolts outwardly so that when the gate isswung in either direction the bolts 10 engaging either the beveled sides16 or 17 will be moved inwardly against the action of the springs 20,but when they come in line with the pockets 15 the springs 20 will movethe bolts outwardly and cause their ends 18 to seat within the pockets.The means for releasing the bolts simultaneously from locking engagementwith the pockets comprises linkage operatively connected to said lockingbolts 10 and means for simultaneously operating said linkage.

The linkage connected to each of the bolts 10 comprises in each instancea bell crank lever 24 pivctally secured by a pin 25 to a flange 26 onthe member 6 and having a hooked end 27 engaging in a horizontallyextending vertically disposed slot 28 in the bolt 10, and in a slot 28in the member 6 and have an end 29 pivotally secured to a link 30.

The means for simultaneously operating the linkage above describedcomprises a grip handle 8l pivotally secured intermediate its bottomportion by a bolt 32 to a collar 33 on the standard 4 and to either endof which the ends 341 of the links 30 are pvotally secured.

To release the bolts 10 from locking en- Ivi gagement with the pockets15 all that is necessary is to rotate the handle 3l in either directionwhich action will causerthe links 30 to move inwardly and the hookedends 27 of the bell crank levers 24 to move inwardly against the lockingbolts l0 adjacent the slots 28 and against the action of the springs 20to move said bolts inwardly and out of the pockets l5.

.In order that the action of the gate may be self-closing withoutinterference 'from the bell crank levers 24, I form the slots 28 in thelocking bolts of suliicient length to provide a lost motion connectionbetween the bolts l0 and the hooked end27 of said levers so that thebolts may be moved inwardly when engaging the beveled sides 16 or 17without interference from said levers.

The operation of the device having been previously described inconnection with the description of the parts of the device furtherydetail explanation is deemed unnecessary.

' The invention thus exemplifies a gatelatch' for a gate which may beVswung in either direction and automatically locked in mid-position andthe locking means of which may be simultaneously released by a singleoperation.

The invention is not to be restricted to the details of constructionherein set forth, but may be varied so as to be within the scope of theappended claim.

Vhat I claim as my invention is A gate latch comprising horizontallydisposed members mounted on the gate and having longitudinally extendingbores and slots therein, a pair of locking bolts slidably mounted withinsaid bores and having slots therein, springs disposed within the boresto normally act upon said bolts, locking pocket members on the adjacentfence standard to receive said bolts, and means for unlocking said gatecomprising bell-crank levers pivotally connected to said members andhaving one of their ends slidably mounted in the slots in said membersand in the locking bolts, a handle rotatably mounted upon said gate, andlinks connecting said levers with said handle whereby the handle may beturned in either direction to unlock the gate.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

...FRANK n., Bosnia.

Witnesses:

BARNEY A. BELLING, JOSEPH CARNAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

